Silent Footsteps
by blackholeofexistence
Summary: The story of a young Nord woman named Zye who arrived back in her homeland to do something different with her life. In her journey to find where she truly belongs, she finds herself in all sorts of twist-ups and unfortunate places.


**Chapter One**

Ever since the attack on Helgen happened, Zye had been questioning her motives. On top of returning to her homeland just to be put to the Headsman's Block, she had encountered a real dragon that everyone in her family had told her stories about.

Of course, Zye grew up in Cyrodiil with a whole Dark Brotherhood of different races but none of them ceased to tell stories and legends about dragons and other lively creatures that never existed. She grew up living the life of a killer and never knew much more until the Thalmor and Empire wiped out the Sanctuary.

Her adoptive mother (the one who was to kill her original parents when she was but a babe) always wanted her to succeed in the Dark Brotherhood. She always told the young Nord that if something were to happen then she was to seek out the Brotherhood in Skyrim. Zye was considering doing so up until her entire life dawned upon her.

From the age of 8 and all the way up until her now age of 23, the Nordic female had been doing contract after contract with enormous amounts of training. All of the Brotherhood had taught her since she was a small child and she seemed to prove strong in every skill and trait that she was shown. There were often times when everyone called her 'Shadow' in her teen years because she would blend in with the shadows and the dark of night without anyone even noticing. Her high stealth and extraordinary lock pick skills made her a big target for the Thieves Guild, but she never joined. Her interests lived elsewhere, but the past few days left her wondering what more the world had to offer her than the Dark Brotherhood.

_A person can kill for only so much time until the thrill of the hunt bored them,_ she continuously thought.

The small built Nord knew that she would have to leave the comfort of her newfound friends home sometime throughout the day. She was already told that staying hidden away from the outside world was not an option, which was when Gerdur pointed her in the direction of where to bathe.

Zye dreaded the feeling of being exposed to the sun as she walked her way to a small pool of water with Gerdur, a clean pair of clothes clenched to her chest.

"Zye, it's alright," Gerdur tried to coax her as she stripped down and waded into the water to wash up after a day at the mill.

"It isn't being outside, it's the sun. I… I, uh, usually prefer night time or shadows than being directly in the light. It makes me feel exposed," the darker haired female confessed.

After much coaxing, Gerdur finally got the tiny woman to enter the water and begin to wash away the dirt, grime and smoke that clung to her lightly tanned skin. After a good wash, she got dressed into a clean dress that had been redesigned so that it sat just below the knees and gave a person room to breathe in. Zye preferred to leave her feet bare for the walk back to Riverwood and Gerdur silently watched her.

The young Nord was stunning in her eyes with her long dark brown hair that fell in soft curls to the middle of her back, piercing steel blue eyes that would soften in the dimmest of light. She noted that even though Zye was a Nord, she was quite short for one. She approximately stood at a height of 5'1" or 5'2" with a figure shaped like an hourglass.

The blonde Nord woman had no idea why Zye was actually in Skyrim, but she hoped it was for a good reason. She saw nothing wrong with the younger female, but she struck her as a Dark Brotherhood type (which she didn't find bad at all as long as she didn't plan on hurting her family).

"I'm at a point in my life, Gerdur, where I don't quite understand what to do with myself anymore. I lived in Cyrodiil, I grew up with the Dark Brotherhood there after one of the assassins was given a contract that meant the end of my mother and fathers lives. I was but a babe when it happened and I grew up learning the ways of my adoptive family. I've only ever killed for a living since I was 8 years old, but now I had my home taken from me yet again.

"I can't decide whether or not if I want to join the Brotherhood again, or if I want to be something else. It's hard for me, I don't know Skyrim at all," the brunette tumbled out word after word in the soft voice she owned.

A sudden weight weighed down on her shoulders and she began to sag down ever so slightly. Her body looked exhausted and all her mind could think about was either sitting in a tree with tons of shade or going back to hide out in the house. She didn't want to run into Ralof and his friend Axis, the two made her uncomfortable when they were together.

Gurdur was going to reply when Zye dropped her shoes and dirty clothes to the ground and took of running, her soft curls bouncing as she disappeared into the forest like a fairy in an old tale. She didn't run very far, she just sprinted a little and jumped up into a random tree, her bare feet scraping against the bark and getting slightly cut up. She paid no attention as she climbed up to her liking and lounged there, her legs dangling down like she was a 5 year old who did this very thing all the time.

Deep down, Zye knew she was still a child with certain things and she knew that she was more grown up than most people depending on what the things were, but she was herself. She couldn't change the fact that she was brought up by assassins and only knew things they knew, but she _could_ change that fact if she so wanted to. She could now be anything she wanted to be, her opportunities were endless now that all she had left was a heavy grief on her heart.

She thought and thought about what she could now do with her life well into the night. By the time she came to a decision the moon was well into the sky and a chill was nipping at her bare legs. Quietly, she dropped down from the tree and landed on the grass below with a soft 'thump' before she took off running towards the small village.

The village was quiet at this time of night due to everyone and everything happily tucked away to sleep until morning, but not everyone was asleep tonight. When Zye emerged from the tree line that was beside Gerdur and Hods house, someone sat outside and was staring up at the sky. The young woman immediately recognized it as Ralof and she frowned slightly before she began to walk the path into the yard.

"Gerdur said you ran off after telling her where you came from. Is it true?" he asked quietly into the cold night air.

Zye nodded and crouched in front of him.

"Aye, it is," she began. "I'm here to change my path since it landed the Empire and Thalmor to kill my family for our choice of work."

"So those bastards disrupted your life too,"

She laughed softly, a sound that anyone could have mistaken for a goddess.

"I believe so, yes. Before you ask me, though, I don't know if I want to join the Stormcloaks and get myself into a war that I have no business in,"

Ralofs blond hair dipped slightly as he inclined his head to her and she noticed for the first time since she met him that the braid he usually had on the right side of his hair was missing. She frowned slightly before she reached forward and took some of his hair into her hand. Slowly and softly she worked a braid into his hair with her small slender fingers, using a piece of string from her dress to tie it in place. When she finished, the other Nord smiled at her.

"Thank you,"

"You looked out of place without it,"

"Axis took it out,"

At the mention of the other girl, Zye gave a curt nod before standing back up and letting herself inside the house.


End file.
